Definition of Persuasion for Public Speakers

The definition of persuasion: the act of persuading someone to take action or to accept as true.

Definition of Persuasion

Persuade is defined as the act that results in someone accepting or doing something as the result of reasoning or argument.

To persuade for a pubic speaker involves more than just the basic persuasion definition or meaning of persuasion.

Consider four scenarios.

A smoker who is well aware of the health hazards.

A diabetic that does sugar knowing the health risks

An obese person aware they are digging their grave with a fork and a spoon.

A child asking why he/ she cannot have cake before supper.

Although the first three have knowledge of the outcomes that will result from their actions, they continue on their destructive course. They do not need to be persuaded that their concern is true, they already know.

The child on the other hand, does not understand that eating the cake will fill him up resulting in not wanting the more healthy foods.

Different persuasive tactics need to be used with all four. Even so, persuasion will not necessarily make the individuals change. More is needed. The first three already know. The child will not be able to appreciate the knowledge at their age.

Why Beyond the Meaning of Persuasion is Needed

All three have something in common. They are examples of why persuasion is more than just getting someone to take action or accept a truth.

The smoker knows the truth of the dangers of smoking.

The diabetic knows the damage that will result from eating sugar or having alcohol.

The obese person knows that they should not eat that extra helping.

Yet they do it anyway.

The child on the other hand will not appreciate nor ever make sense of the truths.

Note that each of the above illustrations will appeal to or persuade each of the different types of presenters of persuasion. Did one resonate with you? If it did, it was the first step in doing an end run around your subjective thoughts, feelings and or emotions related to persuasion.

The definition of persuasion, for public speakers:

Using emotional and logical reasoning to the emotional intelligence and or actions or to help someone accept truths, change the way they think and take action to implement and benefit from the accepted truth.

It involves helping the person to create a mental or emotional circumstance or situation that will make it possible to change the way they think and act.

This may seem kind of long and drawn out. However, consider what would be involved in successfully persuading the four people mentioned above.